‘POWER’ BALLER JA GETS DUNKED
Ja Morant’s off-the-court troubles could put a dent in the NBA superstar’s wallet.
Coca-Cola’s Powerade pulled its ads featuring the point guard after the Memphis Grizzlies suspended him because he flashed a gun on social media during a wild night at a Denver-area strip joint.
It’s not clear if the popular drink-maker has severed ties with Morant, but the company also stripped his likeness from the brand’s website.
Morant inked a multiyear endorsement deal with Powerade just days before he hoisted the gun during the now-viral Instagram live video.
The company has not said how much the deal is worth, but company execs told Bloomberg that Morant was going to headline the biggest marketing campaign in Powerade’s 36-year history.
Coca-Cola did not respond to a Post request for comment Sunday, nor did Morant’s other main endorsement partner, Nike, which earlier this month said it was standing by the troubled athlete.
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs,” Nike said. “We support his prioritization of his well-being.”
Morant’s meteoric NBA rise has been overshadowed in recent weeks by the video, which he posted in the early morning of March 4.
In the clip, Morant is shirtless as he dangles the gun and belts out the lyrics to “Bring ’Em Out” by rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Morant, 23, who signed a 5-yeardeal with the Grizzlies last year that could be worth as much as $231 million, first spent at least $50,000 during a bender at the jiggle joint March 2.
“He was there to party, he wanted some girls in the room,” a club insider had told The Post for a front-page story Sunday (inset). Two days later, Morant returned after the Denver Nuggets trounced his team. That’s when he posted the video that’s landed him in hot water. The club’s owners said Morant was “exceptionally respectful” and sweet during his visits. But one dancer told The Post his handgun antics “absolutely terrified” the dancers. “He pulled the white boy excuse card: ‘I’m just going through a lot right now, so I’m going to act [like] a fool and put other people’s lives at risk,’ ” she said.
Morant’s agent, Jim Tanner, did not respond to a Post request for comment Sunday, nor did his lawyer, Keenan Carter, or representatives of the Grizzlies.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said only that the league’s investigation is ongoing.
No charges
Glendale, Colo., police have said there isn’t enough evidence to charge Morant with a crime.
Although Morant has apologized to his team and the public, other specters from his past continue to haunt him.
The Washington Post recently reported two confrontations Morant had last summer: one with a 17-year-old basketball prospect at his Tennessee home and another with a Memphis mall guard. Members of the Indiana Pacers also claimed that Morant’s entourage may have pointed a red laser at them that was possibly attached to a gun after a game in January.